Efren Navarro had just 14 big-league at-bats with the Angels prior to this 2014 season. He had 10 in 2011 and four in 2013. He was, in a sense, the proverbial career minor-leaguer who had a couple of cups of coffee in The Show.

Navarro made a move in the offseason that has helped him become more important to the organization — he learned to play the two corner outfield positions after being a first baseman for most of his career, which began in 2007 after the Angels drafted him in the 50th round out of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Before Thursday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers, Navarro already had 61 at-bats in three stints with the big club this season. He is batting .295 with eight doubles, has six multiple-hit games and had the winning hit in the Angels’ 16-inning victory over Seattle on Friday.

The next day, from left field, he threw out the Mariners’ James Jones at second base when Jones tried to stretch a single into a double.

Navarro, a 2004 Lynwood High graduate, is excited about the career move he made.

“I remember after last year I spoke to my agent and I asked him if it would be a good idea for me to play some outfield in winter ball,” said Navarro, who still also plays first base.

He went to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, and the team there agreed to let him experiment in the outfield.

“They were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll put you in left,’ ” he said. “That’s where everything started. I remember getting there early and taking many routes to many fly balls to really adapt to it.”

Navarro also had to learn how to throw accurately from the outfield, and his throw that nailed Jones showed his work in that regard has paid off.

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Since he’s 28, Navarro kind of knew he had to do something to stick longer in the majors. As far as first basemen go, he was contending with a young C.J. Cron as well as superstar Albert Pujols.

“Coming into this year I had that in the back of my mind,” he said, speaking of Cron. “Also, there is no way I’m going to play over Pujols, he’s a future Hall of Famer, a gold-glover. I consider myself a great first baseman, too, but not to his caliber.

“Since I spoke with my agent, I feel like that (the outfield) was a good move for me in this part of my career to be able to do that and, obviously, it opened up many more doors for me.”

Manager Mike Scioscia was asked if he is surprised at anything Navarro has done.

“I don’t know if surprised is the right word because we knew he was a good player, but you never know what a player’s going to do until he gets an opportunity,” he said. “I think maybe the pleasant surprise has come with his ability to play left field and right field, which we explored; he played last year in winter ball and we explored it a little bit in the season at (Triple-A) Salt Lake.

“That versatility is really important for Efren and important for our team. I’m not so surprised that he’s given us the good at-bats because he’s really evolved as an offense player.”

Now, if he can only remain with the parent club.

“I think as long as I produce I have a better opportunity of staying up here and I know how, as far as the business side, how things go and for me and I just have to take it one day at a time and continue to produce,” he said. “That’s the main key for me. And help the team win.”

He’s been doing that, in front of family and friends.

“Ah, man, it’s a great, great experience; great feeling to have,” he said. “I’ve been getting text messages after every game and before the game, like, ‘We are proud of you.’ ”

Wilson throws bullpen session

It has been quite a struggle for southpaw starter C.J. Wilson (8-6) this season. Especially over the past seven weeks, during which his ERA has risen from 3.00 to 4.33. He was put on the disabled list following his July 9 start against Toronto with a sprained right ankle, and has been throwing in the bullpen.

He had a bullpen session on Wednesday.

“He threw about 60 pitches, four innings, and if C.J. comes out of it OK, he’ll throw another bullpen probably on Friday or Saturday and then see where he is, see if he’s ready to go into a rehab scenario,” Scioscia said. “But we’re going to take it one step at a time and take it slowly so we can make sure he’s passing every test before we make a determination.”